Near the journey's end; and no more tight-rope walking, with death at both ends, and death staring up from below.

Queer how the human being clung to life.

What had he to live for?
Nothing.

So far as he was concerned, the world had come to an end.
Sporting instinct; probably that was it; couldn't make up his mind to shuffle off this mortal coil until he had beaten his enemies.

English university education had dulled the bite of his natural fatalism.